A/N: This is my last day off for 4 nights, so this is the last 2-chapter updates you'll see for awhile. This chappie came out in less than 2 hours simply because I'm FINALLY getting to write the second half of this arc.. Oh yeah, its gonna have the boom. From the start, you're thrown into the shit.
Some notes before you bitch... The creature, YES, is modelled off a popular attacker from a movie in 2007. The explination WHY the design is used will be explained, in story, down the road. So, DON'T COMPLAIN WHEN YOU SEE IT. In the meantime, however, enjoy this battle. Its technically Gar's first military battle.
The Watchman
---
Time flies when you're the Watchman. Not only has winter finally given way to Spring, but it's also begun to show on his facial features. As the groggy teen arises from his couch at the "early" hour of Four P.M., his eyes seem dark and tired. Numerous scars now adorn his body, most of them potentially from knives or other sharp objects.
Outside of a few events in the winter, the season had been primarily boring. Red X, still in his employ, had discovered that a large weapons cache had been raided just outside of L.A... but other than that, everything else seems to be shrouded further in darkness.. No doubt the work of Ripper.. The bastard continues to elude him, though Gar suspects Ripper may be waiting for the strike on the Tower to begin. Now with March 31 on his dial, Gar wonders just when the strike will begin...
He doesn't have long to think about it as a video pops up on his screen.
"Watchtower to Watchman, are you there?" The voice of Mr. Terrific echoes inside the darkened room.
Still groggy, Gar looks at the screen, yawning in the process. "Yeah Mr. T, I'm here. What do you need?"
The most obvious question deserves a straight answer..
"We have a situation in the Nevada desert that needs your attention." The urgency starts to pump adrenaline into Gar's body, shaking the weariness of sleep away and bringing a tingling feeling up his spine.
"What's going on?"
As Mr. Terrific speaks, he types on the console out of sight of the video feed. "An army convoy practicing maneuvers was ambushed by an unknown creature minutes ago. They have armor and gun support as we speak but the creature is attacking them with impunity. They've called in for support but lost their communications shortly after."
"How bad?" Gar asks, now wide awake. If the Army's calling for League help, it must be big.
"We're monitoring the situation via satellite. The problem is we're overstretched as it is. We have one of our agents down there but he's having trouble containing it. Are you willing to help the Army?"
Throwing on his kevlar and trench coat, Gar replies proud "Yeah, I'm in! Send me when you're ready."
"Preparing to transport. Be careful out there, this creature's not a cakewalk, Watchman."
"Thanks for the concern.." Gar replies sarcastically. Mr. Terrific doesn't have to cater to him like some of the other heroes in this town do.
"Beaming you now. Good luck..."
A blue field of particles surrounds Gar before he's whisked away from Jump City..
---
In a flash, Gar appears now out in the warm desert of the American West.. Right into a battlefield of chaos and destruction. Immediately, he hits the deck to avoid incoming beam fire. As the shots let up, he runs over to the nearest vehicle he can spot. All around him is the sound of cannon and machine gun fire. Tanks fire their deadly payloads into a creature unseen, infantry fire their rifles in a vain attempt to knock out the attacker.
As he rounds an armored vehicle, he runs into a man with stripes on his patch talking with a lower-ranked man. "Sir!"
"Who the hell are you?" the soldier replies, angered from being cut off.
"I'm reinforcement sent from the Watchtower. Callsign: Watchman. What's the situation!?"
A blast behind the car sends the three falling into the ground. Standing up, the soldier returns fire with his rifle before returning to the conversation.
"We're pinned down by that fucking creature! You're all the League sent, huh? What can you do?!"
"One second!" Gar asks, jumping up to get a look himself..
In the distance, he can see what appears to be a large, scorpion-esque creature. Its black body writhes and jerks about like the namesake insect but also rolls and fires beams and bullets from its body. The claws house a pulse cannon in each, firing blue beams at the convoy. The line of soldiers and tankers fire back but the creature absorbs the shots like a boxer taking punches while plowing through further. It seems the creature has more fun attacking from range than actually swarming the convoy.
"Where's the other League agent?" Gar asks now, returning to the soldier.
"He's assisting along the line. Crazy bastard came in with only a pair of revolvers!"
"I'm gonna make a run on that thing! Tell your troops to keep their shots low, ok? I'll be dropping in on him!" Watchman's statement is about to be met with an argument but he runs off instead. Taking to the sky as a bird, he flies over the creature.
From his vantage point, he can see the tracers and smoke across the field. Hundreds of rounds are fired at this beast and yet it simply will not die! He'll have to rectify that!
Swooping down now, he changes in mid-air to a large Kodiak bear. Landing on its back, he grabs on with all of his might. To his own credit, the creature shrieks in rage at the animal daring to clasp onto him. However, the rage is short lived as the tail stinger starts to swipe at Gar. Swinging back and forth to avoid the stinger, he finds himself cursing out this thing. He cannot even call it a machine, the skin feels coarse like a rock but hard and metallic like steel.. Finally the creature shrugs him off, enough for him to change back into a bird to avoid being hit with bullets.
Falling back behind the vehicle, Gar's surprised to see a new person crouching there as well. His blue jacket and sand-caked white khakis seem a horrible contrast to the desert camo of the soldiers. Not to mention his cowboy hat and bandana seem more appropriate to the desert a century than the modern day.
"Who in the hell a'you?" Vigilante asks, reloading his twin six-shooters with all of the grace of an experienced gunfighter.
"Mr. T sent me to back you up. I could ask you the same thing." Gar replies, not entirely sure who the man is before him.
"You must be Watchman, right? Name's Vigilante. We're takin' a hell of a lickin' out here!"
The group has to retreat to a new vehicle as the scorpion destroys their current hiding place.
"You're telling me!" Gar yells over the fire. "What the hell is that thing anyway?! It's like someone made a scorpion out of rock AND steel!"
"So that's why our bullets aren't working.." The soldier curses. "You tellin' me this thing's harder than a holiday fruitcake?"
"Why don't you tell me? That thing looks like a military design! You guys lose control of something we should know about?!" Gar replies back, angry at being shot at by the creature.
"Now's not the time to be a'hollerin'!" Vigilante warns. "We need to distract this here thing long enough to get some big guns on him! Sergeant, can you get us some air support?"
"Communications are down! We'd need to get word out to the Air Force but we don't have a means to.."
"What about our earpieces? Have the Watchtower link up directly with Air Force Command! Call in the big boomers while we keep this thing busy?" Gar suggests, tapping his earpiece.
"Son, that's a plan I can get behind!" Vigilante announces, ready for another round of gunfire. "Sarge, can you do that?"
"Its better than getting the shit kicked out of us!" is the quick reply.
Vigilante accepts the deal, instructing Gar to make the call. Seeing an opportunity, he darts off away, firing a couple more rounds at the machine.
"Watchtower, this is Watchman. Requesting immediate communications relay with the Air Force. We need air support now." Gar asks, crouching in a run behind a series of trucks. The creature seems to be honing in on his transmission with each shot.
"Copy that Watchman. We'll patch you through to Nellis Air Force Base. Stand by."
"Sir!" Watchman yells back to the soldier. "We're getting a relay through Nellis. What do I tell them?"
"Tell them your name and group. Request immediate close air support to Target Range Red Dragon. Authorization Code 343. You'll have to walk the fighters in!"
"Why me?!" Gar asks, not used to the rapid gunfire to begin with. Now he has to direct close air bombing... For the newly-turned 18yr old, this is a bit much for..
"DAMMIT BOY, YOU'RE A SOLDIER RIGHT NOW! DO IT OR WE DIE!"
Swallowing back the fear, he acknowledges.
"This is Nellis Air Force Base. Watchman, we received word from the Watchtower about the situation. Report status."
"Sir, we're pinned down by some sort.. work with me here.. some sort of mechanical creature with rock-like features. Its some sort of alloy I never saw before. We're requesting immediate close air support at Target Range Red Dragon. Authorize 343.."
He can hear the waves of people beginning to talk in the background despite the bombing all around him.
"Confirm Watchman. We have planes in the air outside of your engagement zone. Do you have someone on the ground who can walk us through the attack?"
"No sir. All of their communications officers were killed early in the attack. I'll guide your planes in as best as I can."
"Copy that. Stay sharp out there, Watchman."
---
"Sir, reporting from Nellis!" Gar yells at the soldier keeping his ass covered from the attacks. "They have planes inbound! Can you hold?!"
Pulling an RPG from the back of one of the trucks, the soldier replies "You bet your fucking ass we can! You get those planes in nice and hot, you hear me?!"
"Yes sir!" Gar answers with a snap.
Before the soldier can fire, however, a beam shot from the scorpion tears through the truck. Throwing the two back, Gar's mind recoils in fear as the soldier's arm and part of his face are blown off. All that remains of the man is a Two-Face like appearance, gazing back at him with a lifeless eye, the other exploded from the blast. Scrambling back, fear running through his body, Gar runs along the convoy, looking to escape from the creature's blast.
This is nothing like fighting aliens or supervillains! With them its just a single person, usually in the middle of a city. Despite the overwhelming fire being laid down on the scorpion, it continues to weather the blows. Although some of the shots knock it back, it seems to heal itself fast enough to continue operations.
"Give me Slade or Ripper anyday!" Watchman growls out, looking for a good vantage point. "This is some fucking bullshit!"
"Watchman!" Vigilante yells out, getting his attention. "Any word from the calvary?"
Rolling over to the older hero, Gar informs him quickly "Nellis is sending birds our way. The guy I was with... he had his face blown off.."
"Hey, stay calm, ok! We're not gonna be dyin' in this fight, no sir! Stay calm and get those birds where they need to be! I'm countin' on ya, ok?!"
The stern, yet reassuring words of the supposedly "B-team" hero goes a long way to calming his nerves. Even young adults need to be reminded how to stay calm sometimes.
"Got ya!"
---
"Watchman, come in." the earpiece sounds off again.
"Watchman here, report." Garfield answers, watching the attack progress from the top of the jeep's hood. The scorpion appears distracted for the moment by a stubborn tank firing HEAT rounds into its side.
"We have two F-16s and two A-10s in your area, closing fast. We need you to indicate which direction to attack from and to report any changes, understand?"
"Yes sir, I understand."
A new voice enters the earpiece. "This is Echo 1 of the F-16 formation. Confirm Watchman?"
"Confirmed. We need some fire on this thing! Keep an eye out, it has beam weapons in its claws." Gar warns.
"We'll come in hot and fast."
Vigilante pushes Gar out of the way of an incoming beam shot. The blue beam tears a hole in a small rise behind Gar but saves his life.
"Fuck!" Gar curses, running down the line to avoid the incoming rounds. "This fucker's shooting at me! Echo, bring your ass in from the West, ok? Target is about fifty yards from our position, firing at the column!"
"Copy that Watchman. We have visual on target."
Gar looks up at the sky during a break in the fire. Sure enough, the two single-tailed fighters approach from the Northwest at great speed. Some of the army personnel cheer the fighters but resume attack as the creature continues its barrage.
Strangely, the scorpion howls in pain as the two fighters drop a quartet of bombs onto its back, throwing dust all around the area. The explosion is terrific, enough to send the men that were brave enough to watch back behind their cover. As the planes disappear into the sky again though, its clear the creature isn't done yet. Screaming in rage, it renews its attack. This time, the tank that had so stubbornly held its ground meets its end. A trio of beams sends the multi-ton battle tank exploding in a fiery death.
"Scorpion confirmed hit but continues to attack. Bring the heat again sir!" Gar requests.
"Echo Flight, pull into the sky. Delta will attack the target while you come in for your next bomb run." an order sounds over the earpiece, the person's voice unclear to Gar.
This time the creature's in for a surprise of its own. While the F-16s pull into the sky, a pair of A-10 tankbusters roll into the firefight. Realizing the threat, it turns its claws skyward but the attack comes too late for it to save itself. A pair of deadly gattling guns plus a volley of special anti-ground missiles tear into its armor. The blast is even more violent than the first, actually throwing the creature off of its feet and flipping onto its back. Screeching and screaming, it struggles to regain its footing despite being upside down.
"Direct hit!" Gar calls out excitedly "Target is still active. Finish it off Air Force!"
Minutes later, the request is fulfilled as the F-16s once again drop their last bombs onto the disabled creature. The bombs detonate and the screaming fades from their ears...
---
Once the coast is declared clear, the convoy's soldiers, including Watchman and Vigilante, head over to inspect the machine. Anger and curiosity mix as they stare at this monstrosity. Bullet holes remain in its thick, iron hide. However, as they feel the creature, Gar's assumption of a rock-based coating is also noticed. Whatever this creature is isn't something that a normal mind would conceive.
"Well how about that?" Vigilante remarks, hands on his sides as he inspects the scorpion's corpse. "Always thought those critters would try and sting me out here. Never thought they'd be tryin' to fire back with beams though."
"This doesn't make any sense, sir." Gar mentions to the hero. "This thing could've demolished the entire group if it wanted to? Why did it just stand there drawing all of that fire?"
"That's a good question there Watchman. Maybe our army friends can tell us?"
Watchman shakes his head "Most likely not. Knowing them and their black ops weapons, I doubt they'd tell the League anything."
"Well one thing's for sure." Vig points out "This'll be the last time I'll be bikin' through this neck of the Rockies, that's for sure."
Tipping his hat at Gar, he thanks for the assistance in bringing down the threat. Although grateful at the compliment, a nagging feeling persists in the back of his mind. Maybe Question's influence again? Too many questions left unanswered about this whole situation...
All of that is compounded as his earpiece sounds off again. Instead of Mr. Terrific or Nellis, the voice comes in the form of Cyborg.
"Gar, this is Cyborg! We're under attack from some old friends of your's. We need your... zzzz" The voice of his friend fades out in a sizzle of static.
Despite several attempts to reconnect, he finds the link dead.
"Shit! I need to get back there! Watchtower!" Gar requests desperately into the receiver. "I need transport back to Jump City, now.."
"Something's wrong with the California sector, Watchman. Something's jamming our ability to transport into the entire state.. I'm attempting to fix the problem. You're on your own though until I can find a solution."
"FUCK!" Garfield swears out loud, worry seeping into his mind about the situation. He knew it.. This wasn't just a rogue attack.. Something was WANTING him to come out so they could keep him from returning.
"Well son, we ain't be havin' time to waste!" Vigilante calls out. "I got my bike off by the highway. We're gonna havta drive there!"
Gar turns, about to question the idea but decides its the best choice. As they run off towards the highway, Gar tells him "This thing better move faster than a horse, cowboy."
---
A/N2: Welcome to the end of the world, huh? Gar finally gets to see what a REAL battle's like, not just a bunch of teens and villains fighting all over a street or a "lair". I bet none of you were expecting Vigilante, huh? That sucks to be him... He's just driving through the Rockies, enjoyin' the home scenery, then he's thrown up against a design straight out of Transformers! Ain't this a crock of shit? Still, its good to see Vig firing away.
I wonder if the Whore or Ripper... or even Slade?.. is behind the attack?
Trivia:
- The battle is a slight omage to Transformers 2007, complete with Scorpion attacker. Not to give away a plot point, but who's to say the movie didn't take its design from an earlier... Cadmus-y design?
- Training Range Red Dragon, code 343 is a nod to reviewer "reddragonn343".
Rhetorical Question:
Rorschach, Question, Vigilante, and Deadshot all in the same scene. Would anyone else love that too? All that sarcasm and the eventual argument over which movie to watch would be WELL WORTH the DVD price.